Post by andhe on Aug 30, 2016 0:57:49 GMT -8

"Arnie! Arnie! Arnie!" The travelling crowd of Garhim visitors cheered madly as they held the young victor aloft on their shoulders. For many years Arnault had been an 'also-ran' in the fishing tourney, but here he had finally shone.

Post by AK_Brickster on Aug 30, 2016 7:13:35 GMT -8

"The Bull" stroked his long beard absent-mindedly as the crowd roared at the Garheim sweep of the javelin throw and caber toss. "Reminds me of the good old days", the elder Garhim mused, pleased that he had been able to keep up with the younger competitors. His "old man strength", developed over decades of hard manual labor, had surprised and awed the crowd, and Greden was enjoying the spotlight that the spectacle had shown upon him and his countrymen.

Post by Sir Caelan Munro on Sept 11, 2016 15:16:53 GMT -8

Archery and Final Results of the First Annual C.R.A.S.H. Games!!!

The final day of the CRASH Games started out with much excitement, as no single faction had yet gained dominance, although Garheim had run away completely with the Hurling events. Yet Loreos had dominated Charioteering, so all was still “in the air” at this point.

“Now, as everyone knows,” Tug Sogel began in his official announcer duties, “Today is the Archery events, a sport the Lenfels are beyond question the masters, and the chatter (and betting) is that Lenfald will walk away with the days events. Is that how you see it, Toss?”

His brother chimed in, “If the Lenfels do indeed shoot well today, these entire Games will be a close run thing between the four rival factions. But, uh…I have heard some rather juicy rumors however.”

“Eh? What’s that?” Tug asked curiously.

Grinning conspiratorily, Toss said casually, “Oh nothing really. It’s just that, have you seen any today?”

“Any what?”

“Oh Tug, you always were the slow one…any of the Lenfel competitors?”

“Why, now that you mention it….no, actually. And I don’t see any in the field, except here’s Mitah Val Karem coming out of the main Lenfel tent. Wow, does he look angry! I wouldn’t want to be whoever put him in that mood.”

“He’s speaking with the judges…and I bet he asks to go last as a faction in shooting today.”

Tug glared at his brother suspiciously. “Out with it. Spill the beans, you rascal.”

“Heh-heh. My lips are sealed. Let’s just see how the Lenfels do today.”

Tug stared at him in irritation, but nothing would change Toss’ mind except for a solid rap on the head with a mace, and lacking one right now, Tug had to wait and see with everyone else.

The Outlaws drew first up, and so they proceeded through the three tricky events as best they could: The Bullseye, three shots from 50 yards for the best grouping; a single Long Shot of 200 yards, and the trickiest of the three, the Dodger, three shots from 25 yards where a small target is wildly swinging on a rope.

Helaine and Jose Trueno faired well, with good shots on the Bullseye, and a hit on the Longshot, but they each missed on all three shots of the frustrating Dodger. Ariss Nagarkar did fair on all three but mastered none of them. Thus the Outlaws ended their competition in C.R.A.S.H. It would be an uphill battle to do better…yet all three seemed to be comfortable with their lot. Jose Trueno in particular seemed to be amused about something….

Then the Loreesi were up, and sadly, their luck gave out this day. The shooting events troubled them greatly. Aleric, Uri Harwin and Charles Ander were most unfortunate, with poor performances all around. Even Yursuff faired better, and afterword he claimed that riding on camels for so much of his life helped his aim, though only he seemed to get the gist of this point. While Maximus Xavier and Sir Gerald did well at both the Bullseye and the Longshot, the infuriating Dodger target survived again with not a scratch, and both contestants left the field shaking their heads in disappointment.

Then, the Lenfels were up. But they didn’t seem particularly happy about it.

“Do they seem a bit grumpy to you, Toss?”

“Must have been something they ate.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

[Glare]

Aarla Delvingwood was up first….and she sunk two of her three shots right into the Bullseye with ease. The third was just off center. The Lenfel crowd cheered in hearty agreement and there were many calls of “On the Nose!” and “Give it to ‘em!” And while Aarla was clearly pleased, there still seemed to be something generally wrong. She had to pause several times before the Long Shot, but when she finally did shoot it was a perfect hit. More cheers and encouragement from the Lenfels followed. Then, the pesky Dodger. This event was the make or break event, the one that would “separate the Lenfels from the hack-and-slash crowd”. Her first shot was the first one all day which landed on the Dodger, and it seemed like she would carry away a medal easily. But the swaying seemed to bother even her, and she missed barely with her second, and badly with her last, and what’s more, immediately after the miss she seemed to take ill and headed off the field suddenly.

“Hmmmm,” Tug mused aloud. “Well it’s the best shooting of the day so far, no question, but she sure took off quickly.”

“Toward the outhouses, I think.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s see how the others do….”

[Glare]

Next, Anon Ymous was up, and he performed about the same as Aarla, except that for him something was definitely wrong as he kept having to pause many times, occasionally massaging his stomach. In fact the judges were about to call time on him for his last arrow when he suddenly rose up and snapped off a terrific shot at the Dodger, nicking it. While there were cheers, it seemed like the Lenfels in the audience expected more accuracy from their team. He then ambled over to the nearest tree and slunk down in its shadow, most unheroic-like.

“All right Toss, what’s this about?” Tug demanded.

But Toss wouldn’t give, so while Mitah Val Karem shot his events, Tug hunted down Anon Ymous for an interview.

“So Anon, you did well today, better than any of the Loreesi or Outlaws….”

“Don’t mention those scurvy Outlaw dogs…”

“…ahh, but you seem kind of down right now. And the entire team is, well, not very energetic either. What’s with you Lenfels today?”

As he was asking, Mitah Val Karem strolled over and shot a dagger-look at his team mate. He then glanced at Tug. “Always eat where the locals take dinner,” he insisted before returning his dour glare back to Anon. “Never where an untrustworthy source tells you to eat.”

“So that’s it! All of you have food poisoning! Wow, that’s some bad luck!”

“Unfortunately luck had nothing to do with it,” Mitah corrected Tug. And before walking off he shot at Anon Ymous, “Let us hope the Garhim do not excel today, lest your good name be stained forever.”

“Wow, harsh, huh Anon? Where did you eat?”

Anon didn’t look very happy. “Fast Fahim’s Fried Fantasies.”

“Oh that place. Not the best reputation. I was warned by Yursuff. Why did you Lenfels eat there?”

Anon now seemed very embarrassed. “I…was told it was good and fast…”

“By whom?”

“…Some other competitor…I think his name was Jose…”

“Jose Trueno? The Outlaw!?!”

“…I didn’t really know he was less than honorable…”

“Oh no, not at all,” Tug said as he unconsciously reached down to make sure his new money purse was still there. “Did all of you eat the same thing?”

“No, Mitah refused to eat there, and Fletcher didn’t have the Special.”

“Uuuhhh, I’m almost afraid to ask, but what was the Special?”

Anon hesitated, but finally confessed, “The Fermented Chicken Stew.”

“Ooooh, baaaaaad choice.”

“Leave me alone now.”

As it turned out, Mitah had been so miffed with his team that his own shooting performance wasn’t stellar either, and although Caelyan Nagatomi and Alara Grunwald did as best as they could given the circumstances, the lingering effects of the Fermented Chicken Stew prevented any better scores, that is until Fletcher shot. Unperturbed by a dubious dining choice, he confidently placed three arrows into the Bullseye, and got a solid hit on the Long Shot. And while he missed the Dodger on his first go, his second shot nicked it and the third hit home.

At last the Lenfels seemed happy, and applauded his performance, thinking they had just shot their way to the top of the day’s events.

“And now the Garhim,” Tug announced.

“The Garhim,” Toss repeated with intent. “I have been talking to these burly folk, and apparently they have been practicing these events a lot. They seem fairly confident, even though it’s not their sport at all.”

“Really? Well here’s Greden “The Bull” Strongarm now. He did so well at Hurling, let’s see how all that practicing turns out.”

It turned out…badly. As a matter of fact, The Bull started off poor and finished worse. He got one hit near the Bullseye, and after that, nothing.

“Wow. I think the safest place to be on this field right now is where The Bull is aiming.”

“Hey, maybe he ate at Fast Fahim’s last night?”

There was much disappointment among the Garheim, as some of The Bull’s shine from the previous day with Hurling was lost. Then Sverre was up for his go. He started off great, with a hit direct onto the Bullseye. Now the Garheim seemed to wake up again, and they waited for another opportunity to cheer Sverre. And waited. And waited, for it never came. Sverre’s arrows were not destined for any more hits that day.

“So, what were you blabbing on about earlier on all that Garhim practicing, Toss?”

Now it was Toss’ turn to glare. “I just repeated what they told me, it’s not like I’ve taken bets on it or anything.”

Now the Garhim hero of Hurling, Arnault Stormstrang, stepped in with his bow.

“You know Toss, the problem with muscle-bound guys like Arnie is…”

Stormstrang’s first shot was a Bullseye.

“…well, they have a hard time shooting…”

His second was a Bullseye too.

“…because their muscles get in the way…”

And Arnie’s third split his first arrow in two, for a perfect shot. The Garhim went wild.

“You were saying there Tug?”

“Ah, never mind Toss. That was quite the performance but now is Stormstang’s Long Shot and big tough guys tend to overshoot…”

Perfect hit.

“You mean like that, Tug?”

The Garhim got wild in the stands. Then Arnie set up for the Dodger. He missed his first shot clean.

“Yeah see a stationary target is all good and fine but this Dodger is meant to separate the Lenfels from the…”

His second shot nicked the target, and the Garhim in the stands got wilder.

“Wow, you know if he gets a hit ….”

And then Arnault Stormstrang really earned his fandom, as his last shot hit the Dodger dead center. And the Garhim got their wildest yet.

“Ohhhh yeah!!! How’s that for practicing, huh Tug!?!! Woooo that ties it up with Fletcher of Lenfald, which means at worst Garheim shares the Gold!”

“Quite the shocker Toss. Too bad you didn’t bet on them after all, huh?”

Then Grimm Arinsson entered the field, determined to do better than Arnie.

And he did. Not only did he get three solid Bullseyes and a perfect Long Shot, but he also got a solid hit on the Dodger, plus two nicks.

“Of course it’s unheard of,” Toss rolled his eyes, “it’s the first time we’ve done this C.R.A.S.H. thing.” His sarcasm was drowned out however, as the Garhim were far too noisy, and to some degree, destructive. The wooden stands weren’t looking so good at this point, and were creaking from the repeated stomping.

As Grimm was leaving the field very satisfied, he nodded knowingly at Jorgin Thornbow, who moved forward to take his position while commenting loudly, “Now how is a humble man such as myself to follow such a performance by my friend Grimm?”

“You know the best the Lenfels can do now is share Silver.”

“True Toss, it’s not looking good for them.”

And Jorgin was determined to make it worse for them. He now went about quietly knocking his arrow, lining up on the Bullseye, accounting for the wind and…

Bullseye. The Garhim gave out more cheering, and it got louder after Jorgin’s second shot, another Bullseye. And louder still with a third.

“Hey, this is getting sporty here. He’s lining up on the Long Shot now…got it!”

“Are you hearing those stands? The Garhim are out of control.”

“Are they ever in control? Here’s the Dodger now, the final competition of the final event of the first ever C.R.A.S.H. games.”

Jorgin Thornbow knocked his first of three arrows, lined up with the middle of the moving target, off-set a bit, timed it and fired, getting a nick. More Garhim noise of happiness.

Jorgin paused and took the time now to remember all that practice he had done. And it came back to him with a force as he sunk his second shot into the middle of the moving Dodger. The Garhim now let it be known far and wide that they truly were well-beyond the point of self-control, and were getting fairly destructive with their stomping and throwing of beer mugs.

Last chance, this was it for Jorgin. He knocked his last arrow, lined up on the arc of the Dodger, took a breath and waited for…just…the…right…moment…

The arrow flew and seemed to take forever as all watched, the Outlaws in resigned ambivalence, the Loreesi in silent acceptance, the Lenfels in a state of disappointment, and the Garhim in supreme anticipation…

…Solid hit, an instant Gold Medal.

The Garhim fairly exploded…and so did the wooden stands, which now collapsed under the assault of uncontrolled Garhim expressions of joy. In spite of this tumult, nothing seemed to faze them as they streamed, some limping, from the stands to hoist Jorgin, Grimm and Arnie up on their shoulders. They knew that they had taken the day, and along with their other medals the entire Games themselves.

“So for the Games themselves, Garheim won, Loreos came in second, and by points the Outlaws and Lenfald tied. Gotta love…Ouch!!!”

“Should really watch out for those Garhim beer mugs, Tug. They throw them when they are…oh, sorry brother.”

The judges came forward to officially announce the results, along with the overall Grand Competitors, the three challengers who had the highest overall total points:

Gold: Arnault StormstrangSilver:Mitah Val KaremBronze:Jorgin Thornbow

When things had calmed down a bit from the Garhim mayhem, King Chartres and Queen Emmaline presided over the official ceremony to award Garheim the Official C.R.A.S.H. Golden Cup, which the Jarl accepted with considerable grace, at least, for a Garhim. The Royal Couple then presented medals to the Grand Competitors. All went well with much rejoicing, though there was considerable tension in the air as they presented the Silver medal for Grand Competitor to Mitah Val Karem, a veteran fighter, major proponent of Lenfald’s independence, and a powerful and visible sign of the rift between the faction and Roawia itself.

And Tug Sogel, with a fresh bandage wrapped around his head, gave his final announcement: “Well peoples of Roawia, this concludes the first annual C.R.A.S.H. games! We hope you enjoyed them, and have a safe journey back to your home. Oh, and, watch out for broken beer mugs in the grass on your way out….”

Post by Lord Silver on Sept 11, 2016 16:01:18 GMT -8

Oh. My. Gosh. Great write-up, Gary, as always! I loved it! And now for my character's speech:

The crowd grew silent as the CRASH games' single most amazing upset took the stage. "I am deeply honored to be up here," Jorgin Thornbow started as they lowered the Archery Gold over his head. "It was inspiring to be up here, meeting and challenging all the great warriors assembled here. When I finished last in Chariot Racing, I wasn't discouraged or saddened, and I lnew I still had a chance, so I kept on going. It looks like that determination paid off. I'm still in shock of today's games. First, an Archery Gold, and second, Bronze for overall, and of course, helping to win the entire games for Garheim. I'd like to thank my parents, up in the crowd today, for helping me be the best I could be, my longtime friend Micah Silver, who convinced me to compete today, my instructors, who taught me everything I could, and of course I'd like to thank to academy . Thank you for this opportunity to show off my skills and challenge others' skills." And with that, the Garhim in the stands eruptud in cheering, applause, and throwing stuff to celebrate the sweeping victory of the Games. The three Garhim on the podium slowly walked off, only to have two walk back on to receive their Grand Competitor medals.

This is amazing! I still can't believe we won the whole thing! Congrats to all the winners, and this was such fun. We need to do it again. Go Garheim! (Oh, and how do the points get awarded now, like for individual, overall, and team wins?)

Post by Carrick of Garheim on Sept 11, 2016 16:01:26 GMT -8

This was an awesome end two the games. Congrats to everyone. Is there a picture of the cup? It might be fun to post it on our Homepage. But in all honesty this was a cool event. I can't wait for the next one.

Post by Sir Caelan Munro on Sept 11, 2016 16:29:50 GMT -8

This was an awesome end two the games. Congrats to everyone. Is there a picture of the cup? It might be fun to post it on our Homepage. But in all honesty this was a cool event. I can't wait for the next one.

Build it, attach the picture here and you can have it. Perhaps a Garheim LC?SaveSave

Great Warlord and Champion of LenfaldLenfald Faction Overseer and King's Council